Daily doodles - One

This winter I took blog hopping (or as a student recently said "blog-hounding") seriously and looked at a number of blogs recommended by others.

(google image glouchester rd.uk.com)
I am not a shopper. I look at the edges of a hanger in a store and have made a decision before I touch it. I go into a store with my mind made up on what I need and if I don't see it, I curb my lust and impulsiveness and walk out again.

I found blog (s)hopping triggered the same lust and impulsiveness but I had made the decision to do some research on what is happening in the world of textiles, mostly embellishment type textiles. I didn't see too much that was post-modern or whatever era of art history we are currently in. I'm sure it is out there somewhere.

Some of the blogs I liked best have been added to my blog list for your own interest. One of the things I discovered in my (s)hopping is that many folks are doing something on a daily basis. Not just journal writing but drawing or stitching or photographing or writing poems. It doesn't seem to matter what the choice is, from feathers to "inchies" (one inch by one inch drawings or stitches), the point seems to be to get the hands and mind into a synchronized zone and produce something without pre-judging what the outcome will be (too much) and to explore the impulses of the moment.

My Intentional Dots had that sort of supporting rationalization about it, but I quickly discovered how long a dot took, how I would begin to have an idea of what outcome I wanted (needed) and then spent too much time on it. Some of those dots took several days to complete. It took away from spontaneity.

Daily Doodles on the other hand don't. Some people are calling it daily scratchings or daily sketches and there is a trend out there based on Zentangles ...... I am not a good drawer, things tend to get cartoony quickly. My hand is also not very good at drawing a line that is just bang on the first time. I use a lot of erasers in my work. I often have to vacuum the studio after a Hot Flash Comic is done there is so much erasing. Part of my challenge is to stick to markers and love the line I draw.

My first daily doodles. Kind of confused, isn't it?

I almost like this one but it is a bit too constructed for my idea of doodling. Some people's doodles are very structured, some have characters they give a daily thought to, others like to sketch and infill something they see that day like a bird or a tree or bark. I'm trying to be more organic.

I am almost happy with the one on the left. The markers keep smudging and I don't have the patience to wait for things to dry. Shading is acceptable in a doodle (according to Zentangles) but I haven't figured out how to do that with markers. Things smear. Pencils are an obvious option to use for that.

The one on the right I am happy with and is more what I am after. And that's what I wish would happen more often with my stitching, a little more growing around and about, less staying in the lines.